The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1887-05-05
EaEPORIA SENSATION.

An Article In the News which has
Created Quite q Sensation In the
East.
Some time ago an article appeared in
the News detailing the particulars of
the burning of steamer on the Ohio
river away back in the sos, and the
heroic saving of small boy by some
unknown parties. The article, it
seems, has been extensively copied in
the east and much attention called to
the almost forgotten affair. Several
letters have been received at this office,
asking for information. ETC., and among
them was the following from the edi-
tor of the Medina County Gazette:
MEDINA, O., April 25, 1887.
Editor Emporia Evening News, Emporia, Kan
sas:
SIR: Reading the article copied from
your paper relative to the saving of a
German boy, 4 years old, from the
burning steamer Griffith in 1850, / am
sure that the man who saved that boy
lives here. His name is Robert Hall.
He was coming to this country from
England and happened to be passen-
| ger on that boat. l have heard him
describe the affair, modestly stating his
own part in it. l may see him soon
and will refer him to you Yours fra
ternally, J. II. GREENE.
Yesterday evening we received by
mail copy of the Cleveland Leader,
containing the following marked arti-
eles, perusal of which will be explain
atory:
In last Sundays Leader an article
from the EmpOria, Kansas, EVENING
NEWS was republished, giving an ac-
count of the rescue of a little German
lad from the burning steamer Griffith.
1t set forth that the boy is now we'll
TODD citizen in Kansas, and that he is
anxious to learn the name of his res
cuer. A well-knOwn lady in the East
End called at the Leader Office yester-
day for the purpose of making known
the fact that she and a man whose
name she never learned, were the res
cuers of child who probably is the
German in question. The lady's hus-
band was the steward of the Griffith
and she was making the trip with him
When the fire broke out she was thrown
overheard by the captain as she had
become separated from her husband
| When she come up some one
struck her on the shoulder and she
sank the second time. When she
came up again she found herself tweni
ty rods from the boat. She had learned
to swim when girl, and had no diff
Guilty in reaching the burning steamer
She climbed into wheel, which had
stopped. Directly child's body came
floating past. She stopped it with he1
foot, and she and the unknown man
who she thinks was the barber of the
boat, drew the little form from from
the water. She says the child was ev.
identity German, and must have been
six years old. After awhile the boat
turned about, and she was taken off by
a reScuing party. For long time af-
terward she was very i'll, and she, OF
course, lost all trace of the little fellow
whose life she had saved. Those inter
ested in the case can learn the lady s
name at the Leader. She is a member
of st. Paul's Episcopal church, and is
we'll known To the old residents of the
city.
The Hero OF the Griffith Disaster.
| To the Editor of the Leader.
Among the editorials of to-day's
Leader notice that a person named
| Spencer is mentioned as being the hero
| of the steamer Griffith. The gentle
man referred to was Mr.. Caleb Spencer
| of Ashtabula, nephew of the late
P!att II. Spencer. l was acquainted
with Mr.. Spencer and know that he
was passenger on the boat; but the
man that saved the boy is Mr.. ID. J.
Alvord of Iowa Falls, Ia, father of d.
NJ. Alvord, yardmaster of the Lake
Shore s. Michigan Southern railroad at
Collinwood. Caleb Spencer was at that
time treasurer of Ashtabula county
He died about twenty years since.
Warren, o., April Dc. G.. w.